HERBS
Shakespeare, Milton and a host of major and minor poets have praised the virtues of herbs; "rosemary ... for remembrance"; rue, "the sour herb of grace." Generations of wise women have tended herb gardens and concocted herb teas as topics and appetizers. In the following brief Dictionary of Herbs I have included ideas for their use, and I have added a few other plants from which teas can be made.
HERBS
1. Anise is used as flavoring for licorice products and cough medicines.
Anise seeds are a piquant topping for bread, rolls and cookies and the seeds also may be crushed and added to hot milk drinks to help induce sleep.
2. Basil belongs to the mint family. The leaves, fresh or dried, are used to flavor soups and stews. Basil is especially good with tomatoes and tomato sauce. Dried sweet basil is excellent sprinkled on pork chops before cook ing. Basil also makes a fine marinade for meat or game.
3. Bay leaves are the smooth, shiny leaves of the bay tree. They are fragrant and pungent in flavor; a little goes a long way. Bay leaves add flavor to soups, especially tomato; they are also used in stews, meat loaf and with fish. A bay leaf may be floated in the water in which you cook vegetables such as onions, carrots or tomatoes.
4. Camomile flowers are dried and used to make a delicate tea.
5. Caraway seeds are a delicious companion to rye bread and may also be used on crackers or cookies. The whole seeds add a distinctive flavor to cottage cheese, sauerkraut, sausage and baked apples.
6. Cardamon seeds have a flavor kinship with coffee. They are pods from a fish, fowl or sauces. Blend with cream cheese to stuff celery.
9. Chives are slender, onion-like sprigs. They grow easily and should be in everyone's garden, or potted in the kitchen window. They do wonders for salads, cottage cheese, eggs and sauces where a mild onion flavor is desired.
10. Clover (red clover) blossoms are used in herb teas. Clover honey is very desirable as are all flower honeys.
11. Cumin seed is a small dried fruit grown on a small plant. It is used to and Spanish dishes. It is good in a wild game stuffing.
13. Dandelion leaves can be used in teas. The root has long been known for its tonic effect and has a flavor similar to ordinary coffee, especially when served with cream.
14. Desert herb tea is obtained from plants growing on rich mineral land and virgin soil, and the tea contains trace qualities of these natural elements.
Do not steep too long in making tea as it may develop a bitter taste.
15. Dill is an annual of the parsley family and is used to flavor soups, salads, sauces, fish dishes, and obviously, in making dill pickles. Do use it fresh whenever possible. Chop leaves and add to cottage cheese or sprinkle over steaks before serving.
16. Elder flowers are used as an old-time medical remedy to purify the blood and can be used in herb tea. Use only a little as the flavor is pungent.
17. Fennel is a perennial of the parsley family. There are several kinds, sticky and when dried and made into a tea are soothing and appetizing.
19. Garlic is a bulbous annual belonging to the lily family. The edible part is the root made up of many small sections called cloves. It also has medic inal qualities. Its flavor is stronger than that of onions and is used in stews, salads and salad dressings. Fresh cloves of garlic are preferable as neither the powder nor the oil is as flavorsome.
20. Geranium leaves are very popular. Those most commonly used are straw berry, rose and lemon. It is used in fruity puddings and custards or fruit drinks. Use fresh leaves in salads or fruit cups. For hot drinks crush the leaves before using and for cold, float the leaf on the top.
21. Horseradish root is used fresh or dried. Fresh, it is very good with roast
24. Linden blossoms also make a delicious tea.
25. Marjoram is a member of the mint family and the leaves are used in an herb bouquet, to flavor soups, stews, stuffing, pork, lamb, tomatoes, and string beans. Use marjoram if stronger flavor of sage is not desired.
26. Mint is a well known leaf used for drinks, vegetables, pea soup, lamb, fruit salads, and for mint tea. The peppermint and spearmint leaves add a wonderful touch to most herb teas.
27. Nasturtium leaves can be used in salads or sandwiches or as a garnish.
Chop the tender leaves and mix with cream cheese for canapés.
28. Oat straw is the dried oat plant, and is especially valuable for silicon and is used in herb teas.
29. Oregano, an herb of the mint family, is used in soups, chili and in tomato sauce. Use in marinades for meat or game, or in oil-vinegar salad dressing.
30. Papaya leaves from the tropical tree are used in herb teas. Its character fruit cups or salad. Eggs or biscuits are improved with a little of this herb.
33. Saffron is the stigma of a crocus plant. It is expensive, but its flavor is so cottage or cream cheese for sandwiches or canapés.
35. Sarsaparilla root is used to make tea and to flavor iced drinks.
36. Savory, both winter and summer, is of the mint family and can be used in
The great spice caravans of ancient times crossed China and India to bring the prized cargo to Mediterranean and Persian Gulf ports and on to the market places of Rome and Athens, where they sold for fantastically high prices. It is said that pepper was part of the ransom price for lifting the siege of Rome in 408. Spices were part of the history of the Crusaders, of the great explorations to find new trade routes around Africa and across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The powers of Europe were in bitter competition for monopolies of spice-producing areas all over the world. Spices gave a lift to the monotonous diet of medieval times and they were a useful disguise for foods which had spoiled! Now we use spices to enhance the natural flavor of foods, as well as for their health-giving properties. This short Dictionary of Spices will give you some ideas as to their varied use.
SPICES
1. Allspice resembles the flavor combination of cloves, cinnamon and nut meg. It is used as a seasoning for pot roast, pumpkin pie, and as a pickling spice. A little adds interest to carrots or eggplant.
2. Cayenne pepper is much hotter than red pepper, and is used in curry powder as well as in meat dishes. Use a dash in barbecue sauce and in cream or cottage cheese spreads.
3. Cinnamon, the bark of a tree, is very aromatic. Its uses in cakes, cookies, apple sauce and pie are familiar and it may also be added to milk drinks or herb teas. Try it in baked squash.
4. Cloves, the unripe buds of the tree, are fragrant. Use with ham, pork, meats, spice cakes, gingerbread; and it is good in meat loaves.
5. Ginger is obtained from the root below the ground. The flavor is both strong and piquant. Used in cookies, meats, and drinks, it is wonderful on steak before broiling. Try it in pot roast and meat loaves.
6. Mustard seeds are small and hot. They are used in pickling, in cabbage and sauerkraut. Ground mustard is used in salad dressing, spreads, dips.
It is also used medicinally as a poultice.
7. Nutmeg is the seed of its fruit, and mace the red outer covering. The flavor is fragrant and is used as is cinnamon. Try it on roast lamb.
8. Paprika pods are ground into a fine powder with a bland, but distinctive flavor. It is important for its Vitamins C and A.
9. Black pepper is the immature berry of the pepper vine, and white pepper is the berry left on the vine, fully matured. Red pepper is from the pod of the plant and because it is so hot, should be used sparingly.
10. Poultry seasoning is a mixture of herbs and spices. It can be added to biscuit dough for an interesting variation.
11. Pumpkin pie spice is a ready-mixed blend of spices. Try it sprinkled over steamed squash or pumpkin when served as a vegetable.
12. Sausage seasoning is a bland of herbs and spices including white pepper, coriander and nutmeg. It can be used in meat loaf, pork or veal birds.
13. Turmeric is the root of the ginger family, orange in color. It is an im portant ingredient of curry powder. It is used both whole and ground and can substitute for saffron for coloring cakes, breads or cookies. It is also good in rice dishes.
14. Vanilla beans are the dried, cured fruit of an orchid. Vanilla is used mostly in pure extract form, but the extract cannot compare with the bean itself.
CHAPTER
9
Meats
THE word protein comes from the Greek and means "of first importance." And that's just how it is regarded today.
Our grandmothers lacked our scientific jargon, but if you remember their juicy roast chicken, redolent with sage dressing; their roasts of beef, seared brown on the outside, pink and tender within;
sizzling chops and savory stews, you know they were nutrition experts by instinct. They didn't need to be told that protein is an essential part of every living cell, that without it the tissues of the body would starve to death because it is vital to growth and repair; that protein functions as enzymes, hormones, toxins, antitoxins, antigens and antibodies.
The human body can manufacture more than half the 22 amino acids which make up protein, but the other half must be supplied pre-formed, preferably altogether in a single food or combination of foods. Anyone who wishes to enjoy sustained vigor and a normal life expectancy, as well as contribute to the improvement of the race, must eat a liberal quantity of good protein. By liberal, I mean an amount well in excess of theoretical needs; an amount such as the more prosperous races have instinctively chosen over the years.
Meat, milk, cheese and eggs top the list of good proteins. Next best are nuts and soybeans. Grains, legumes and gelatin lack some amino acids and so are known as incomplete proteins. When high and low protein foods are combined, the incomplete ones are made more useful.
PROTEIN NEEDS
Nature has provided the young baby with protein containing the amino acids essential for growth, in the form of milk. Daily milk continues to supply a goodly portion of protein for the pre-school and pre-school child. By this time, too, he has many other pro-tein foods in his diet. As he approaches adolescence, the spurt in his growth rate creates an increased need for protein.
The adult's major need of protein is for upkeep and repair.
About 70 grams per day is the accepted minimum daily require-ment. Below that, the standard of good health cannot be main-tained.
Recent studies of nutritional needs of the aged indicate that older men and women have a need for more protein and seem to benefit from intakes that are 50% above the needs of young adults.
The protein needs of pregnant women are higher than the usual needs. Surveys at Harvard have shown that women con-suming 83 or more grams of protein bear healthier infants than those receiving less. In lactation the need for amino acids is even greater, for now the woman must supply milk to feed a larger and rapidly growing baby.
Most of the body's ability to ward off disease may be traced to factors in the blood called antibodies. These are protein in nature, and there is a direct relationship between the adequacy of protein in the diet and the number of antibodies circulating in the blood. Well-fed test animals show a tremendous antibody response to invading bacteria; poorly fed ones exhibit only a halting re-sponse. Recently this has also been shown to be true of human beings.
■ GOING TO MARKET
It is not easy to be sure you are buying meats which contain the nutrients you need and desire. Of course the best way is to raise your own chickens, turkeys, cattle and pigs. Since this is not possible for the great majority, the next best procedure is to know exactly where your meat comes from. This is not as difficult as it sounds. Most communities now have excellent nutrition centers within easy driving distance, where the food sources are known and clearly defined. It is your job to locate such centers.
Marketing for meat can be quite a problem because of the many things which can be done to a carcass before you meet up with it in your butcher's case or super-market. After all, meat is simply a plant product brought to market through the animal's re-conversion. Since animals are such an important source of protein, they must feed on nitrogenous and mineral-containing foods.
When cattle are allowed to range, they instinctively select the plants that are best for them. It follows that such range-fed cattle are best for human consumption. When the cattle are fattened in feeding pens, the nutritional value decreases due to the change in fat.
The factors which determine the grading of meat are con-formation, finish and quality.
Conformation implies plump or blocky carcasses as contrasted to rangy or angular. This means that the cuts should be shapely, with full muscles and a large percentage of good meat as compared to bone.
Finish refers to quality, color, and distribution of the fat. The best finish implies a smooth, even covering of creamy white, flaky fat over most of the exterior, and liberal deposits between the large muscles and muscle fibers, which is called "marbling."
Quality refers to characteristics of the flesh and the fat in the flesh. It relates to the firmness and strength of muscle fiber and connective tissue, since these affect the tenderness of the meat.
Texture of meat is related to quality. The round purple stamp seen on meat is the symbol of federal inspection and means only that the meat is from federally-inspected animals and is wholesome. The grading stamps (also purple) are to indicate:
1. U.S. Prime—Excellent quality, juicy, marbled, tender.
2. U.S. Choice—Acceptable quality, moderately fat.
3. U.S. Good—More lean, not so much fat.
4. U.S. Commercial---Older animal, not so tender.
How to judge beef: Moderate covering of fat over exterior, thinner over ribs. Liberal deposits of fat between large muscles and con-nective tissue and muscle fibers. Velvety, fine grain; bones porous and red in young animal—white and flinty in older animal.
How to judge veal: The lean should be light grayish-pink; fine grain, fairly firm and velvety; not much fat, but what there is should be clear, firm and white, with no marbling; bone porous and red, ends of same still pliable.
How to judge lamb: Age produces changes in character, color and consistency of the flesh and bone. The hardness and color of bones are good indications of age. One should look for the "break joint,"
the place where the fore-feet are taken off. In young lamb it is smooth, moist and red; in older animals it is hard and white. Flesh varies from light to dark pink. As the animal grows older the color deepens. The fat is soft and creamy white or slightly pink.
How to judge pork: Most pork comes from young animals 6 to 12 months old and is usually tender. The color is grayish pink, chang-ing to delicate rose in older animals. The flesh is relatively firm and fine-grained, free from excessive moisture. The lean is well marbled and covered with firm white fat.
■ HOW TO COOK FRESH MEAT
The basic methods for cooking meat are by dry heat or moist heat, depending upon whether liquid is used in the cooking process. Each method has several variations.
Dry Heat methods are ideal for tender cuts.
Moist Heat creates steam which softens connective tissue and cooks the less tender cuts to juicy goodness.
Dry Heat Methods Moist Heat Methods
Oven roasting Braising
Broiling Stewing
Pan broiling and pan frying Simmering in water
■ OVEN ROASTING
1. Place meat, fat side up, in shallow roasting pan. Use rack under boneless cuts. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of muscle, being careful bulb does not touch bone or rest in fat.
2. Do not add water. Do not cover. Place roast in 325° oven and roast to desired degree of doneness as registered on thermometer. Refer to time table for approximate cooking time. Fat melts and "bastes" roast as it cooks.
3. Take roast from oven and allow to stand 15-20 minutes for easier carving.
"Feather" bones may be removed from roast in kitchen. Carve meat across the grain toward the ribs, freeing slices with tip of knife along the bone.
■ BROILING
Steaks and chops should be cut at least 1-inch thick for best flavor results. They may be broiled frozen or partially or completely thawed.
Broiling is not recommended for fresh pork, which requires longer cooking time, or for veal, which is lacking in fat. However, smoked ham and bacon are often broiled.
1. Place steak or chops on rack in broiler pan. Slash fat edge of meat at 1-inch intervals to prevent cupping. Brush very lean meat with fat before broiling.
If desired, use meat thermometer on thick steaks, inserting horizontally into thickest muscle.
2. Follow range manufacturer's directions for broiling. Place rack so that surface of meat is 2½-3 inches from source of heat (greater distance for thicker cuts). Broil for about half of time allowed in timetable. Season, turn and finish broiling. To turn, use tongs or fork inserted in fat.
3. Degree of doneness of steak depends upon individual preference but for best flavor, avoid over-cooking. Serve sizzling steak on hot platter, garnish ing with tomato and onion slices and a bit of crisp greens. A thick Porter house weighing over 4 pounds will serve 4-6.
■ STEWING meat. Add desired seasonings, varying to enhance flavor of meat used.
4. Cover kettle tightly and simmer until meat is tender. Do not boil. Slow
1. Cover meat with hot water. Meat may be browned first, if desired.
2. Add seasonings and desired herbs, spices or "seasoning" vegetables, such as onion and celery.
3. Cover tightly and simmer until meat is tender. Do not overcook.
3. Cover tightly and simmer until meat is tender. Do not overcook.